Volkswagen Touareg in India – Car Review

The Volkswagen Touareg had been first brought out by its German car maker in the year 2002. It is a medium sized crossover SUV. The car first made its appearance in the Indian market in the year 2009 and had been received well by the customers in this country due to its inherent toughness. In fact, it derives its name from a tough group of inhabitants residing in North Africa, who are known as Tuareg people. The car has been essentially provided with features that make it an effective off-roader. It has been provided with a tough built and world class features to handle the rigors of off-road travel. The car has been designed to accommodate 5 passengers comfortably in its well designed interiors. The Volkswagen Touareg has also created a platform in which other prominent brands including the Audi Q7 and the Porsche Cayenne have been manufactured. The Volkswagen Touareg has been developed by the German car maker in collaboration with Porsche. It receives strong competition in its segment from the classy M Class of Mercedes Benz. The toughness of this SUV has been exhibited with its global model having secured recognition for pulling the huge Boeing 747. This clearly justifies the toughness that has been credited to this vehicle.

However, the price factor of the SUV has often proved a major deterrent to Indian customers, who find it hard to go for this car. However, Volkswagen is on the verge of coming out with the latest variant of the SUV. The 2012 edition of the Volkswagen Touareg is expected to be more spacious inside. It is also going to be provided with improved looks along with the best of features. The latest BlueMotion Technology is expected to be provided to this upgraded version of the Volkswagen Touareg. Another hybrid variant is being planned but the same might not be made available in India because its battery pack has been priced very high.

Engine Configuration:

The latest variant of Volkswagen Touareg is going to get its power from a 6-cylinder 3.0L TDI engine that has the capacity of generating maximum power of 238Bhp along with a peak torque of 550Nm. This SUV is definitely going to rise up the ranks amongst all the cars in its segment with respect to the torque it generates. Even with all this power, the SUV is going to generate a mileage in the range of 9 to 11km/liter. It has been provided with a six-speed automatic transmission, which is able to channelize engine power to its wheels in a controlled manner. The auto transmission has been provided with an in-built dynamic shift program that is intelligently able to recognize the gear shifting pattern followed by the driver and customizes itself to operate accordingly. This is one exhibition of the high technology features that the car has been equipped with.

The Performance Factor:

The peak speed of this SUV has been restricted to an impressive 210kmph. The vehicle can move from a standing position to a speed of 100kmph in an impressive 14.5 seconds. The sporty nature of its suspension is adequately reflected when driving the vehicle fast on plain roads. The unique mechanical engineering that the Volkswagen Touareg has been blessed with enables the vehicle to adequately handle diverse terrain including mountains, rivers and deserts. Its all-wheel-drive has been enhanced further with the 4XMotion feature that gives the vehicle excellent traction and makes it a very safe operator on virtually any kind of surface. This is achieved by a proper distribution of the engine power adequately to all the four wheels as per necessity of the situation. Thus, the 4XMotion feature is able to improve vehicle handling and behavior and thereby makes driving a lot more fun. Its latest double-wishbone that has been used in its axle within the chassis ensures comfort driving and gives the feeling of operating luxury saloon cars.

The Exteriors:

Volkswagen, the leading car maker from Germany, has always faced a major challenge as far as the exterior of the Volkswagen Touareg is concerned. But in the present model, they have addressed this issue comprehensively. Exterior features that have been provided to the car include Bi-Xenon headlamps, exterior door handles and mirror housings in body color, heated external mirrors that are adjusted and folded electrically and having in-built side-turn indicators. Fog lamps have been provided to both its front as well as rear sections.

The Interiors:

The interiors of the Touareg has been precisely designed with its theme in pure beige perfectly complimenting its exotic leather upholstery courtesy Napa and its wood inserts from Burr Walnut. Excellent audio system provided to the car with high-quality speakers can keep you thoroughly entertained while making long journeys on this vehicle. The additional feature of its electric sunroof further enhances the travel experience.

Safety Features:

The Volkswagen Touareg completely addresses all aspects pertaining to safety on a vehicle. It has been provided with excellent safety features including 8 airbags, ABS, ISOFIX, ESP, safety headrest feature, disk brakes, engine immobilizer, interior protection alarm, central locking using remote along with wheel locking.

Price:

The Volkswagen Touareg is expected to be offered in India at a price starting Rs.51.7 lacs.